Welded steel component and method of manufacturing same



J. J. RYAN I arch 26, I946 WELDED STEEL COMPONENTS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME Filed Oct. 15, 1943 6 N N 005 0N M m m a 2 m mu 2 mm K o m m E MAM IN WELD/N6 MACH/NE WELDED COMFDNEN T :90 OUTJIDE Patented Mar. 26, 1946 FFIQE wELDED STEEL COIVIPONENTAND IVEETHOD OF. MANUFACTURING SAME James Jay, Ryan, Minneapolis, assignor to Federal Cartridge Corporation; Minneapolis,

Minn, a corporation of-Minnesota j.

Application 1Qctober 15, 1943, Serial No. 506,323

(ores-4.3)

of the ultimateshell case undergoing construc- 2' Claims.

This invention relates .to .the manufacture .of

' deep tubular closedebottom .sections of .unitary construction capable of withstanding impact gas :pressures of..many, many thousandsof pounds per square .inch. :The invention is I admirably suited for the manufacturelof steel shell. cases .anduit is aspecifie object of the invention to provide. a method for. themanufacture of such. am- .munition components and to provide such=new and useful steel shell cases.

It is a further object oiitheinventionto pIO- vide methodsforthe fabrication of unitary ammunition components capable of .withstanding impact gas pressure loadings of the magnitude adeveloped upon firing-of high velocity. ammunir .tion.

-It is also an object of the invention toprovide .methods of fabricating ammunition shell cases from bar. and tubestock, utilizing a minimum. of .heavy draw press formingoperations, and to provide methods capable of being utilized withequal one size to .anothersize with aminimum .oilretooling.

Other and further. objects of the invention are those inherent in the apparatus andmethod illustrated, described and claimed.

1 The inventionis illustrated with reference to the drawing, which. schematically illustratesthe steps ofv manufacturing one type of component, -;.-namely a steel ammunition'shel1-case,-which is .illustrative of thetype of component capable of sbeing produced bythe invention. The drawing also illustrates various apparatus which areutilized in carrying out the methodsof the invenl tion.

1 For the manufacture of steel shell cases in accordance with the present invention, there-is uti-- .lized round steel. bar-stock! which is preferably slightly larger indiameter than the external mdiameter of .the shell case being. manufactured. By means of an ordinary screw machine, there is turned out from the bar-stock a cup unit generallydesignated H, which, in the instance of the shell case being produced, is turned so as to have van ejectorgroove ii, an axial cavityll3 for receiv- ,ing the primer cup and a relatively thick shellhead portion as indicated by the bracket [4. The

cup unit is likewise. turned so as to have a cavity :15. which leavesran upstanding side wall at l6 oi a thicknessapproximately equal to the side wall ;tion. ,If desired, the machining of the groove 12 and the primer cup openings l3;maybe delayed :until a; subsequenti stage in the manufacturing .zoperation,;the cup, I I being merely turned with a thick head: 14; of the circumierential sidewall l6. In anotherlscrew machine tube stoclggenerofthe shell case ultimately, beingproduced is .cut

off in lengths such asthat shown at 2!, so asto havetrue surfaces at 22 and 2 3. The worhfiows yes indicated by the arrows inthe drawingfrom stage A where ;thec up pieces II aremadeand I stage B Where thetubes are out offto length to .a; we lding machine indicated at stage C, Where the lengths f tubes; 2! are welded to .the cup ;-.pieces-l l.

In order to accomplish a unification ofthe cup 7 piece I I and tube. length 2|, these parts are Welded togetherbymeans of o the resistance flash- ,welding technique which; m ay, be carried out automatically in'rapid succession by a flash-weld- 'ine machine; such as. the Taylorewinfield welding machine typQBrBbutt welder model 1233. V In this welding techn quelthe tubestock 2i and the cl p.:stock II are, gripped and held in alignment and;electric al current of high amperage and low voltage-is conducted to the partsas indicated-by the conductors24 and 525. By means of the ma- .chinethe twoparts, namely, the tube 2! and the cupgl l are movedaxially towards each other until cup are brought into contact. As this occurs, the

;very, heavy current, across, the relatively .poorly conductive contactareabetween the parts at surfaces Hand 23;,develops, a large amount of heat,

.metal .to, welding temperatures.

units being. weldedtogether, but is usually accomplished in 1 tolOseconds for small caliber are each moltentemperatures, the two parts are squeezed together andan intimate juncture of the metal occurs. The term resistance flash-welding is used in the present specification and claims and is. intended to mean the technique just described. A'specific example of resistance flash- .welding. technique is given in a later portion of stock 20. the punch at 434 is equal to the caliber of the shell the present specification. The resultant welded component is illustrated at D and due to the weldin operation there occur inner and outer flashes or excess metal adjacent to the weld, the flashes being indicated at 26 and 21.

By way of further illustration, but without any limitation upon the invention reference is made to the following data:

In the production of 50 cal. steel shell cases of standard dimensions the steel tube portions 2| were used having an outer diameter of .8 inch and inner diameters ranging from .703 to .716". The tubes were 3 inches in length and were of seamless and welded stock. The cup II had an overall length of inch and a sidewall of Mg",

so that the lowermost part of the flared portion 41 of the component, ends at a fixed distance 48 above the head surface 49 of the shell. Below this level the taper II is less than the inner diameter of the tube stock and causes no expanouter diameter of .804 inch for machining and a sion of the component side wall. Accordingly during the next step in the process. when the 7 side wall is drawn out, the portion of the side wall below level 48 does not undergo any thinning. As the punch 4| reaches the bottom of the component, it forces the shell-head 49 of the component tightly into contact with the marking die ation the primary voltage was 230; secondary I voltage 4.1; primary amperage at the time of upsetting was 102 amperes; secondary amperage at the time of upsetting was 5610 amperes; time of mechanical flash was 3 seconds and the time surface at area 28 and 29 where the welded joint was made. If desired, the groove I2 and the primor cup I 3 may be machined into the welded component at this time, if they were not machined into the cup I I at stage A.

The component at stage E, after removal of the inside and outside flash, are then sent through two press stages illustrated at F and G, which in the drawing are shown at a'somewhat reduced scale'as compared to the remaining illustrations. At stage F the welded component I I /2I is fed to the die sleeve generally designated 30, and is held in place by means of plate 3|. The die sleeve 36 is itself positioned in a die holder 32 which in turn rests on the press bed 33. 'Within the die sleeve 39 there is positioned a marking die 35 which is normally spring pressed upwardly against the inner shoulder 36 of the die sleeve by means of a pair of very stiif opposed disk springs 38 which rest upon the inner bottom 39 of the die holder 32. The press is provided with a vertically oscillating expanding punch generally designated in which has a maximum'diameter at 44, and a tapered end ti which is smoothly curved off as illustrated at 42. The outer diameter of the punch at the point of maximum diameter of the taper, i. e. level it-l, is less than the outer diameter of the shell .case ultimately being produced, but larger than the initial internal diameter of the tube Stated another way, the diameter of equal to the initial inner diameter of tube.stock 22, A slight clearance is provided at 45 between the inner wall of the component I I/2I and the punch. It may be pointed out that in the drawing the diameter at M and the angle of taper are somewhat exaggerated in stage F for purpose of which, after producing an intaglio marking on the head 45, is moved downwardly against the heavy pressure developed by springs 38. The springs 38 are selected so as to provide sumcient pressure for forcing the marking die into the head, but the spring yields after the main surface of the marking die has been brought into contact with the head. In this way the punch 46 does not cause any working or thinning of the head portion of the component I I/2 I.

As the press mechanism continues throughout its cycle of operation, the punch 4| is drawn straight upwardly to a level equal to that shown in dotted lines in stage G and the shell component I I/2I remains firmly on the punch till, due to the heavy gripping action of the springy steel side wall of the tube against the tapered portion of the punch. It may be explained that as the punch is driven into the component II/ZI at stage F, there may occur a slight shortening of the overall length of the component II /2I due to the drag of the side wall on the tapered end 41. At stage G there is no exaggeration of the tapered end 4I shown in the drawing.

As the punch 40 is lifted to the position of the dotted lines in stage G, the drawing die generally designated 50 is also shifted sideways until it is in alignment with the punch. The die block 50 is of hardened circular stock, smoothly rounded at 5| so as to guide the shell component head I I into the die. The die block 50 is held in place by a screw plate 55 in a die support 52 which is in turn fastened to the press bed 33. The die support 52 is provided with a shoulder 53 which serves to support the die block 50 and alower' easily as it is driven downwardly through the die block 59. Beneath the stripper 56 the die support 52 is cut away so as to provide a drop-out slot 59 through which the drawn-out shell, illustrated at 60, can fall.

As the punch 49, with the component I I/2I on it, begins to descend, the head end II enters the smoothly rounded portion 5! ofthe die block 50. The minimum internal diameter of the die block is equal to the external diameter, i. e. caliber of the shell component being produced and as the punch ill has produced no expansion of the tube section of the component below the level 48 at stage F, there is no drawing out of the sidewall metal until this level is reached. If desired there may be just a little draw below level 43 to polish off the metal. Then, as the punch 40, with the component H/2! upon it, is forced downward through the die block, the metal is thinned out upon the punch, beginning at level 48, and is gradually tapered until it has been drawn out to the length shown in full lines at stage G. The outer diameter of the shell component is the same throughout its length, but the sidewall thickness gradually decreases from a maximum at level 48 and below to a minimum at the mouth SI of the component. The punch 40 moves downwardly until the mouth SI of the shell component is below the bottom level of the stripper plate 56, whereupon the springs 51 of the stripper draw the jaws of the stripper into contact with the punch. Then, as the punch is lifted by action of the press, the drawn-out component, generally designated 60, is stripped off the tapered end of the punch and falls out of the slot 59.

The remaining steps H, I, J, K, L and M are analogous to those customarily used during the manufacture of brass shell components. after leaving the drawing stage G, the thinnedout shell wall, which is hardened due to the work involved in drawing out the metal, is subjected to a body annealing operation during which the upper portion of the shell wall from approximately the level 48 to the mouth SI of the shell is accurately heated while traveling through a gas or other type of annealing furnace so that this portion of the shell side wall from 48 to BI is annealed and is suitable for further working. The body annealing operation is illustrated schematically at stage H. The annealed component is then set through two, or optionally three, plug and taper operations illustrated at I, J and optionally K which results finally in the untrimmed shell component shown at L. The untrimmed shell component is then cut off to the prescribed length as indicated at M and is plated or otherwise finished with a rust proof or other coating as desired.

The shell components produced in accordance with the present invention are exceptionally rugged and are completely gas-tight, even to the impact gas pressure developed during the firing of high velocity ammunition. No leakage occurs at the welded joint, and the welded joint is so analogous to the adjacent metal that the weld is not discernible. The ammunition components require no annealing other than the body anneal at stage H, and when finished in accordance with the usual plug and taper technique utilized in the manufacture of brass shell components, the tapered mouth, indicated at 63 (M) and the adjacent side wall have the precise resiliency and flexibility to permit perfect sealing in the rifle chamber, and at the same time the resiliency of the side wall at the mouth is such that the shell side wall retracts from the chamber as the gas Thus,

pressure has subsided, thus allowing easy ejection. No splitting occurs, even after repeated reloadings or when fired under excessive loadings.

The re-tooling involved for the production of the varying sizes of ammunition is very much less than that involved when retooling for the manufacture of varying sizes of brass or steel ammunition components according to processes heretofore known, because the number of punch press operations involved when manufacturing shell components in accordance with the present invention is only a fraction of the number involved in ordinary brass or steel shell-making techniques. The same screw machines and cutoii machines, used for producing the cup II and tube lengths 2|, may be used for any size ammunition and within limits, the welding machine used in stage C is capable of handling varying sizes of components. Likewise, the relatively simple dies utilized at stages F and G can be produced at low cost and conveniently. Hence, by utilizing the present invention it is possible to tool for mass production of shells of any selected size in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost, as compared to traditional shell-making techniques.

The invention is obviously adaptible to the production of closed-end vessels of uniform or tapered side wall construction and is not limited to the production solely of ammunition components.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the. spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments herein except as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The steps in the manufacture of cartridge component blanks which comprises machining bar stock to cup-shaped pieces having a cylindrical cup sidewall of thickness equal to the thickest part of the sidewall of the cartridge, cutting off lengths of tube stock, the wall thickness of which is uniform and equals the sidewall thickness of the cup-shaped pieces, welding the length of the tube and the cup together and tapering the wall thickness of a portion of the tube length from a point spaced from the weld to the open end of the tube.

2. The steps in the manufacture of cartridge component blanks which comprises machining bar stock to cup-shaped pieces having a cylindrical cup sidewall of thickness equal to the thickest part of the sidewall of the cartridge, cutting oiT lengths of tube stock, the wall thickness of which is uniform and equals the sidewall thickness of the cup-shaped pieces, welding the length of the tube and the cup together and tapering the wall thickness of a portion of the tube length from a point spaced from the weld to the open end of the tube by expanding the tube to a gradually increasing diameter in the direction of the open end of the tube and then drawing the tube to a uniform outside diameter while maintaining said gradually increasing inner diameter unchanged.

JAMES JAY RYAN. 

